Poverty Industry Drives Memphis Economy

[Guest 270win]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/30/poverty-industry-drives-memphis-economy/

 

 

I thought some of you in other parts of the state might find this article interesting.  It is a sad shame that this is the way it is in a good chunk of Memphis.

[CQB Elite]

Thanks for posting that. My daughters' school is in a sub-division full of $400,000 + homes. Very few are empty. I often wonder how people can live/work in Shelby Co and afford these houses

[DaveTN]

I wonder what would happen if they used some of that money to give land and tax breaks to business they wanted to move into the area.
Of course it would be tough to get companies to move into one of the most dangerous areas in the country.

[Links2k]

I wonder what would happen if they used some of that money to give land and tax breaks to business they wanted to move into the area.Of course it would be tough to get companies to move into one of the most dangerous areas in the country.

They already do that to the detriment of the city and county. Damned near every large business in Memphis is on a pilot program. They are paying little to no taxes because they are providing jobs and their employees are hopefully going to spend their income in the local economy. The only people paying taxes in Memphis are middle class suckers like me.

[Links2k]

Thanks for posting that. My daughters' school is in a sub-division full of $400,000 + homes. Very few are empty. I often wonder how people can live/work in Shelby Co and afford these houses

See my answer to Dave. Memphis has thousands of well paying jobs because of the pilot programs provided to businesses. Without them, Memphis would be worse than Detroit. Edited December 30, 2012 by LINKS2K

[DaveTN]

They already do that to the detriment of the city and county. Damned near every large business in Memphis is on a pilot program. They are paying little to no taxes because they are providing jobs and their employees are hopefully going to spend their income in the local economy.

That's a good thing don't you think?

The only people paying taxes in Memphis are middle class suckers like me.

Unless you are a Blues Musician or a Police Officer, why do you stay there?

[CQB Elite]

Unless you are a Blues Musician or a Police Officer, why do you stay there?

I've been asking my wife that for about 4 years. We are originally from Florida and here soon I hope to be able to transfer back that direction.

[Links2k]

That's a good thing don't you think?Unless you are a Blues Musician or a Police Officer, why do you stay there?

It's good to a point. I don't think that the city will survive on property and sells taxes from the middle class. Most people drawing salaries from the local corporations commute, so very little of that income is being left in the city. I don't attend anything in the city except my job.

I'm rooted in Memphis for now. My kids attend very good private schools, my wife loves her job and I plan to work at least eight more years. After that we may move east or join my mother down in Clearwater, Florida.

[DaveTN]

We are originally from Florida and here soon I hope to be able to transfer back that direction.

  

After that we may move east or join my mother down in Clearwater, Florida.

Maybe you guys can get a group discount……
 

[CQB Elite]

Maybe you guys can get a group discount…… [img=http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/TourGlide/Web%20Stuff/biggrin.gif]
 

Good idea, but anything South of Ocala isn't Florida........

[Guest Schafer503rd]

My house is in Shelby Forrest.. 5 acres,2600 sq ft,4 bed 3 full bath 60x40 shop,5 car pole barn, 100yd firing range and a private pond  ..... $240,000. This is the reason why I live here, However I work everywhere but here to pay the mortgage.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Bruceton, TN This is the way I heard it, anyway.

 

The city, or county, gave a company tax breaks for a certain number of years, to stimulate growth so that company

wouldn't leave. They got the tax breaks for the time and at the end of the break period, moved to Mexico. Bruceton

built a sewer treatment plant with borrowed money and never collected the first dime, except from the less employed

Bruceton citizens.

 

The company was HIS Chic Jeans. There may be more to the story, but that's what I remember. Non union, also.

Bruceton is an old railroad town. The railroad is about all that is left of it and that isn't much.

 

Memphis could do as well on a daily basis. They would be better off giving land grants to the welfare recicpients and

cutting off their welfare. And then giving every citizen a gun and let them have it out.

[DaveTN]

Bruceton, TN This is the way I heard it, anyway.

 

They got the tax breaks for the time and at the end of the break period, moved to Mexico. Bruceton

built a sewer treatment plant with borrowed money and never collected the first dime, except from the less employed

Bruceton citizens.

Well that’s just bad business on the town’s part. If a tax break is set a number of years you have to know the business will move or want to renegotiate at that time. I’m not saying every business should get free land and tax breaks, but if a major manufacturer that is going to have skilled trades jobs is looking at your town; you better have someone in town with enough intelligence to deal with it.

 

Most all the clothing business in Tennessee moved to Mexico; it could have just been the timing. Cut a buck off the price of a pair of jeans and many Americans won’t care where they came from or what the impact on our economy is.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I don't live there. Just posted it for the knowledge, ole boy! It is a common practice of municipalities.

[Links2k]

Bruceton, TN This is the way I heard it, anyway.
 
The city, or county, gave a company tax breaks for a certain number of years, to stimulate growth so that company
wouldn't leave. They got the tax breaks for the time and at the end of the break period, moved to Mexico. Bruceton
built a sewer treatment plant with borrowed money and never collected the first dime, except from the less employed
Bruceton citizens.

That's how it happens in memphis. When the PILOT expires the company says we are going to move unless you give us another 15 years. I say let them leave. Very few of the employees live in Memphis or spend money in Memphis, yet the government can always find ways to raise property taxes on the citizens.

[Links2k]

I don't live there. Just posted it for the knowledge, ole boy! It is a common practice of municipalities.

Very common practice in Shelby County. Thats how we recently got Mitsubishi(?) and Electrolux to build here.

[Chucktshoes]

I don't live there. Just posted it for the knowledge, ole boy! It is a common practice of municipalities.

Very common practice in Shelby County. Thats how we recently got Mitsubishi(?) and Electrolux to build here.

Don't forget all the years of bowing and scraping and eventually giving it all away free to Bass Pro.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Unfortunately, it's a practice our politicians tend to use to make us think they are business friendly, when all they

are looking for is a way to increase taxes on someone. How about just lowering the damned taxes on businesses

and individuals alike? All taxes do is punish behavior, of some kind.

[Links2k]

Don't forget all the years of bowing and scraping and eventually giving it all away free to Bass Pro.

Yeah, I forgot about that. Bass Pro bent the entire city over. Edited January 1, 2013 by LINKS2K

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I remember something like that to get Dell Computers in middle TN. Awful lot of empty buildings without that name on them.

[Garufa]

Memphis was once a great city, and still is in many ways.  I'm biased because I grew up there so it's difficult to hear trashing from those who know nothing about it.

 

The current state of affairs started in 1991.  Those of you that are from there know what I'm talking about.

[leroy]

Interesting read.  Thanks for posting it.  It seems i remember somethin about machine demorat politics in Memphis.  Could that possibly be part of the problem?

 

leroy

[R_Bert]

Memphis was once a great city, and still is in many ways.  I'm biased because I grew up there so it's difficult to hear trashing from those who know nothing about it.

 

The current state of affairs started in 1991.  Those of you that are from there know what I'm talking about.

 

That would have been about the time Lisa Marie got control of the Trust?

[deerslayer]

Memphis was once a great city, and still is in many ways.  I'm biased because I grew up there so it's difficult to hear trashing from those who know nothing about it.

 

The current state of affairs started in 1991.  Those of you that are from there know what I'm talking about.

 

You mean back when Hackett lost by less than 200 votes, but 3000 idiots voted for Mongo?

[Links2k]

You mean back when Hackett lost by less than 200 votes, but 3000 idiots voted for Mongo?

 

 

You mean back when Hackett lost by less than 200 votes, but 3000 idiots voted for Mongo?

 

Old Mongo has been down in Florida raising hell the last few years.